By IANS, [RxPG] Doctors need to attain skill development like entrepreneurs to improve patient safety and quality of healthcare, experts said at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences - here Thursday.

'To reach the goal of patient safety, hospitals need to ensure that they comply with the international standards of safety. This is possible when the doctors attain skill development like entrepreneurs,' said Sandeep Guleria, additional professor and consultant surgeon at AIIMS.

'Doctors and industry need to work in close coordination. Small achievable goals like hygiene and prevention of infection in hospitals make a huge difference to the quality of healthcare provided in a particular country,' Guleria added.

Speaking ahead of the 70th annual conference of the Association of Surgeons of India -, Arvind Kumar, ASI organising secretary, said: 'Healthcare infrastructure in India, especially in rural areas, has not kept pace with the growth of the population in terms of healthcare education, hospital beds and trained clinical and paramedical manpower.'

The conference, to be held Dec 15-20 at AIIMS, aims at providing hospital entrepreneurs the information on redesigning their institutions on the principles of patient safety, quality and affordability.

This will directly benefit the patient and bring in quality health services in the country in smaller cities, said Kumar, also a professor of surgery at AIIMS.

The five-day conference will include workshops on conducting surgeries, medical education and panel discussions on 'doctors as entrepreneurs'.

Over 8,000 doctors and surgeons are expected to participate in the conference.